UBER UPDATE
UBER GRANTED LICENCE TO OPERATE ITS SERVICE IN ABERDEEN DESPITE PROTESTS
Uber will soon be operating its ride hailing service in Aberdeen after being granted a licence to operate in the city. The firm previously applied in 2019 before it was withdrawn, but it reapplied to the city council earlier this year. It will see Aberdeen become the third city in Scotland to have Uber after Glasgow and Edinburgh. Ahead of the licensing committee meeting on 6 June, the council received 485 letters of support for the plans, with 23 objections. During two hours of discussions,
Uber officials fielded questions surrounding the service from how the ride hailing company operates to fares and passenger safety. However despite protests from taxi firm bosses at the meeting, Uber was granted its licence
in
Aberdeen. The news comes follow- ing recent frustration with the current service in the city, with lengthy queues at taxi stands and a lack of availability at night time. Commenting on the decision, Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said: “We are
delighted the application has now been approved. Aberdeen Inspired brought Uber to the table after we recognised the need to address serious issues with taxi provision in the city, especially around late nights at the weekend. “We received a litany of complaints with a severe lack of taxis leading to safety concerns, especially for the vulnerable. There’s also an impact on the city’s economy, as people openly say they will not come into the city for fear they can’t get home at the end of the night.”
UBER OPEN TO IDEA OF BLOCKING ITS DRIVERS FROM PICKING UP FARES IN BLACKPOOL RANKS
The first steps will be taken to regulate the operation of Uber in Blackpool after a meeting bet- ween Uber and Chris Webb MP. Mr Webb said Uber has agreed to “open up conversation” with Blackpool Council about applying for an operating licence in a meeting with him on May 29. The company also told him it is open to blocking its drivers from picking up in Blackpool ranks and it will establish lines of communi- cation with Blackpool’s licensing team to facilitate the reporting of any illegal activity by Uber drivers. Webb believes this is a “significant step” in tackling what local taxi drivers say is an influx of Uber cars in the town, despite the US company having no operating licence for the area. Webb raised the issue on May 16 as his first question in the House of Commons. He said: “Blackpool is
PHTM JULY 2024
experiencing the scourge of unlicensed taxis in our treasured seaside resort. Uber and similar companies, which have
no
operating licence in Blackpool, are allowing passengers to use their unlicensed taxis uninsured, creating a real public safety risk. “These unlicensed taxis are parking in local ranks illegally, taking fares from our hard- working Blackpool taxi drivers. "What is the Minister doing to tackle these unlicensed drivers, and will he meet me to discuss this issue in my constituency?” While the Minister for Local Transport Guy Opperman did not offer Webb a meeting, the MP was subsequently granted a meeting with Uber. Since the question, Webb says he has also met with the Shadow Minister for Local Transport, Black- pool Council’s licensing team and
the Council Executive member for Highways & Traffic Management and met with positive responses. Following his meeting with Uber on 1 June, Webb also met with members of Blackpool Licensed Taxi Operators Association who told him of their two-year battle with Uber drivers in Blackpool. Adam Vacchiano, a hackney driver in the town, said members have collected thousands of pieces of evidence of wrongdoing by Uber drivers in Blackpool. He said BLTOA is keen to work with Blackpool Council to tackle the issue. He said: “If they operated within the law it would be fine but wrongdoing is widespread.” Vacchiano added: “We feel like we’ve finally got somebody behind our fight in Chris Webb. It’s widespread illegality and the lack of enforcement has been frustrating.”
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